Wanting What You Have

“He must become greater; I must become less.”
John 3:30 (NIV)

John the Baptist was not just Jesus’ cousin, his sole purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus. His charisma pulled people to him like a magnet. His message of repentance of sin led to the baptism of many. John enjoyed success in his calling, yet when Jesus began His ministry John only wanted success for Jesus. John never demonstrated envy or jealousy. In fact John said, “That joy is mine, and it is now complete.” (John 3:29b)

Celebrating the success of others isn’t easy. I’ve been there, working longer than my contemporaries only to see them enjoy certain successes before and beyond me. Unfortunately, my response was more like that of a 2-year-old than John the Baptist. Oh, to be able to genuinely be thrilled for another’s success!

God has taught me something during my 2-year-old tantrums. Contentment is the key to experiencing success. When we push through our feelings of envy and jealousy and embrace our mission, we experience God’s pleasure. God’s pleasure in us is success. Knowing we have brought joy to our Heavenly Father will enable us to be filled with joy as others around us enjoy success.

Celebrating the success of others doesn’t mean you have to stop striving to achieve your goals. We continue to strive for excellence in our God-given gifts. While we work towards our goals and use our gifts for God’s glory, it might become easy to compare ourselves to others. When we compare, we lose confidence. Don’t sacrifice your confidence on the altar of comparison

Nobody wants to stand in line to be last. Decreasing so God could increase isn’t easy. Hey, I like being first, but I like being close to God more than being first. The more I yield to the Holy Spirit’s work in my life the more I decrease. The more I decrease the closer I get to God. Now that it something I would stand in line for!